Safety device for platen printing presses



R. SfGOLD.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED APR.29, I922.

mismaw. Patented Dec. 5,1922.

Patented Dec. 5, i922.

nane ROBERT STOREY GOLD, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES.

Application filed April 29,

T0 all'wiwm. it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT El'ronnx (imam a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Platen Printing Presses, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety devices for platen printing presses and the object of the invention is to provide positive means for absolutely preventing ac cident to the operator when the hand of the operator is withdrawing the printed sheet and as the press is closing and at the same time provide automatic means whereby the press is only actuated when the operator is in the operating position and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device, showing it applied to a platen printing press.

Fig. 2 is a. side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4, Fi 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5, Fig. 2.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure. I

1 indicates a platen press which is of ordinary construction provided with a stationary member 2 and a movable member 3 be tween which the sheet of newsprint is in.- serted and from which such sheet is withdrawn by the hand of the operator. 4 and 5 are a pair of tubular standards spaced apart so as to allow suiiicient room for the perator to pass between the same. 6 is a diametric orifice formed in each standard 4 and 5 intermediately of their height. 7 and 8 are post members fitting within the standards 4 and 5 and slidable vertically therein and provided with diametric orifices 9 extending parallel with the face of the press and a diametric orifice 10 extending at right angles to the press. 11 is a flexible breast strap extending between the post members 7 and 8. 12 is an eye bolt extending through each orifice 10 and provided with a wing nut 13. 14 is a triangular member composed either of 1822. Serial No. 557.362.

twisted wire or separate links connected to gether at their point of junction and around the base portions 15 of which the ends of the strap 11 are suitably secured so as to hang in broad loop form as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

16 are inclined braces extending between each standard 4 and 5 and the floor 17 from which the standards extend. 18 is a sleeve slidable upon each standard and 5 and resting normally upon the cross pin 6 of each standard. Each sleeve 18 is provided with a socket 19 in which the upper end of the corresponding inclined brace 16 is secured.

20 are sockets provided with base flanges 21 provided with a perforation 22 through which extends a pin 23 extending into an orifice 24 formed in the floor 17 so as to hold the inclined braces in position. 25 and 26 are bearings secured to the floor 17. 27 is a rod mounted in the bearings 25 and 26. 28 is a tread plate secured to the rod 27 at one end and extending crosswise in front of the printing press between the standards 4 and 5 and the bases 21 of the braces 16.

The free end of the tread plate 28 is provided with a notched recess 29. 80, 31 and 31 are bearings also secured to the floor 17 and located on the opposite side of the standards 4 and 5 in alignment with the bearings 25 and 26. 32 is a shaft journalled in the arings 30, 31 and 31*. 33 is an arm rigidly secured to the shaft 32 and from which e3 tends a cross pin 34 projecting from each side thereof so as to engage beneath the tread plate 28 at each side'of the notched recess 29. 35 is the main shaft of the printing press provided with pulley members 36 and 87 and the driving belt 38. The shaft 32 extends at its inner end into proximity to the driving pulleys 36 and 87 and is provided in proximity to such inner end with a slotted arm 39 extending upwardly therefrom. 40 is a standard secured to the floor 17 in proximity to the pulleys 36 and 37. 41 is a shift lever provided with a fork 42 engaging the belt 38 of the press.

'The lever 41 is pivotally mounted at 43 upon the standard 40 and is provided at its lower end with a pin 44 engaging the slot of the arm 39. 44 is a tension spring connected at one end'to the shift lever 41 and at the opposite end to a suitable anchoring post 45 secured to the floor.

When the operator is using the press he stands upon the tread plate 28 stepping onto the tread plate between the posts 7 and 8. The weight of the operator depresses the free end of the plate forcing the arm 33 towards the horizontal and thereby swinging the arm 39 outward and downward.

By this means the shift lever 4.1 is thrown inward on its upper end carrying the belt off the idler pulley 37 onto the operating pulley 36. The press then starts to operate. As the operator feeds each sheet of paper in between the members 2 and 3 of the press he leans against the breast strap 11 which holds his hand in a definite position when placing the paper within the press or withdrawing it therefrom or in other words limits his reach so that he cannot place his arm so far in between the members f the press that it can not readily be withdrawn.

Also the breast strap prevents any danger of the operator being thrown forward off his balance by any other person coming into contact with him in the narrow isles of a printing shop.

Very serious accidents are very often due to this fact and has often caused the loss of an entire arm of a worlnnan. when the operator has finished his work and steps off the tread plate the spring 4% carries the shift lerer 41 back to its normal position and the belt 38 into engagement with the idler pulley 37 thereby stopping the machine so that there can be no danger of accidents occurring when the machine is not actually in opera ion by anybody passing direct y in front of it.

In order to permit of free passage between the machine and the standards t and 5 I withdraw the pin 23, raise the braces 16 upwarc so as to slide the sleeves 18 vertically and then swing the braces out ward. at right angles to the normal position thereby leaving a clear passage between the machine and the standards.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple device which will absolutely prevent danger to the oper ator causing serious accidents and not only that but i volring the owners of he printing shop in considerable financial loss due to insurance.

Owners of printing shops have been desirous for many years to obtain means to overcome danger to the workmen and the accidents that so often take place but to the present time nothing has yet been found which will produce the result desired and which is simple, efiicient and cheap to manufacture.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. safety device for platen printing presses comprising a pair of standards spaced apart and located in front of the printing press, and a flexible breast strap extending between the upper ends of the standards and adapted to extend across the breast of the operator between the operator and. the press so as to form a free forward leaning support for the operator, and means for adjusting the breast strap vertically.

2. A safety device for platen printing presses comprising a pair of tubular standards spaced apart and located in front of a printing press, post members slidable vertically within the tubular standards, means for adjusting the height of the post members therein, and a flexible breast strap extending between the post members to form a leaning support for the operator.

3. A safety device for platen printing presses comprising a pair of standards spaced apart and located in front of the printing press, a flexible breast strap extending between the upper ends of the standards and adapted to extend across the breast of the operator so as to form a leaning support for the operator, inclined braces extending forward of each standard support and swingable horizontally therearound, and means for detachably securing the lower ends of the braces to the floor.

ROBERT STOREY GOLD. 

